Training Log Archive: rcro

Not feeling great today - something to do with the 12hrs on my feet yesterday, with a bit of racing and a bit of mountains? With the weather not great saw no point in driving anywhere interesting as wasn't going to get as much enjoyment out of it.

Aimed for an easy 10k as recovery but once downhill was quite apparent that legs weren't working so aborted and came home the direct flat way. Had a couple of hours in bed to rest after.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2730438285

Warm up loop avoiding most of the course, and logging the "secret" trail that isn't very distinct but heads right through the start/finish and continues to the top corner. Missed the turning back at the bottom first time so needed to double back. Seemed quite effective as got the legs going a bit.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2726826652

Originally had intended on an easy go at Black Mountains race to catch up some of my elevation deficit, but the arrival of spikes meant it got trumped by XC training. Then that got trumped by Forest Parkrun as weather forecast implies it's the last dry weekend to go for a sub-19 this year, and with Marcus doing Swansea 10k and Cory marshalling, an outside chance of a good position if things went well.

A few quick people and quick dogs - but the quick people didn't come with me out of the start, and the quick dogs were a lot less quick after about 200m, so was in the lead quite quickly. By the 1k point was nobody in sight behind me (150m or so visibility) which confused me a bit - but watch says I did 3:28 which I *suppose* is quite fast...

Basically stayed on my own the rest of the way, and tried my best to keep pushing - looking at watch suggested it was going to be very close to course PB and would be nice to get it. Just about managed it - 2s - so got the novelty of ringing the bell at the finish as well as the P1 token.

2nd place ended up over 1 minute behind me - so could have got the win for a lot less effort, but nice to get a best time too. Has taken 162 starts to get a win, and brings to an end the annoying statistic that, locally, I'm the fastest runner never to have won!

Still not in top form - to be honest surprised to have got a course PB, expecting 10s slower at best.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2726827639

Short warm down to catch up with the Porthcawl guy who looked like he should have been racing me - but he went for 2nd lap loop and I did 1st to avoid getting in the way of the runners. Stopped at Cory by the pond.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2726827912

From Llanbedr up to top of PCC to take photos ahead of the race. Started out later than I wanted so only had a 14 minute headstart and had to push hard up the hill. Really found it hard work and had to walk a lot of it but made it to the top with enough time to explain to the marshal how to use the RaceTek app.

Air Ambulance flew over as I was 2/3 up - heading to a car crash down in Cwmdu. Still able to hear lots and lots of noisy motorbikes on the A40.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2728415511

Stayed in position until Karen had gone past, ate some food and then jogged north to Pen Allt Mawr. Just about caught Paul Dodd so asked him to keep an eye on the young man in road shoes (just ahead) for the steep descent - which he did. Turned and headed back along the west side of the hill, which was extremely windy and hard work. Bailed out of going right round the lower spur because of wind and went over the top. Ironically the top of PCC was out of the wind.

Returned with a loop of Table Mountain as I've never Stravaed it before.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2728418432

Got more photos of the first few finishers, hung around the Karen, Gareth and the few runners I was concerned about to finish, and then talked to Cherry about Maprun mob-matches, so didn't leave Llanbedr until 6. Made for quite a long day!

Trying for an easy run tonight as legs were knackered, didn't quite happen.

Went for an explore of the cyclocross from a few weeks ago. Whilst it's so dry the bowl made quite nice running - so wonder if the mown trails will stay.

Made it back home, but getting to 10k was a chore.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2722959186

SWOC street-o with Maprun in Radyr.

Legs pretty tired from yesterday's sprints so was never comfortable tonight. Quite pleased with the pace towards the end when I was rushing to get back.

S-5-11-36-27-1-25-12-16-21-13-31-14-35-26-15-22-2-33-34-24-17-F. I *think* 550 points - found a bug with the latest beta version that I'm testing in preference to the released app so it logged all the controls but didn't give me a score! (The developer was already aware of the bug and has apparently corrected my result now).

Course very similar to 2015's - 4 was the only one I recognised as having been moved (I never finding it at all in 2015 despite it only being worth 10 points!). Tried doing routes a little bit differently to what I remembered and don't quite think it was worthwhile for what I did with 13/21.

At 22 with just over 14 mins to go when wanted to be at 2 with 15 - aware finish would be hard so pushed it quite a bit, and had comfortable margin in the end.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2720322605

Compare with 2015 https://www.strava.com/activities/417616036/overvi... - extra 15 mins but only 1km further distance. Definitely running quicker atm.

Quickly planned my street-o this afternoon. Still 2 weeks to the race so getting a bit organised...

10x 402.3m with 90s rest between. Was going quite hard tonight so getting the most benefit of it. As the fast end was a little depleted was the fastest for 9 of the 10 - but only 5th fastest on the last. Surprised Cory a bit by pulling away from him and getting faster on each of the first 5 - but I was feeling completely wrecked by end of each effort.

82, 80, 78, 76, 75, 77, 78, 78, 78, 78.

Pretty good session by my standards. Still not near the same level of fitness I was at at the end winter but encouraging that I'm starting from a much better base this year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2717425533

Back a bit sore from moving desks at work this morning. Aviva, being ever conscious of staff wellbeing, have now decided not to use their dedicated team for the heavy lifting and instead expect everyone to carry all their equipment and computers around the office with no H&S training...